Harley-Davidson reported a
19-percent rise in first quarter profits this year, an encouraging piece of
news for the country's motorcycle industry.

But the continued success of Harley-Davidson, whose gas-powered bikes represent around 60 percent of the
U.S. motorcycle market, raises a question: Will Americans ever come around to the idea of electric motorcycles?

Glenn Dietrich, the owner of
Cycle World in Houma, used to carry electric motorcycles manufactured by
Zero, one of the emerging industry's leading companies. But the shop sold only two bikes
in two years, leading Diedrich to cancel his contract with Zero.

"They just weren't selling
like we hoped they would," Dietrich said.

Dietrich cited several theories
for the lack of sales. For one thing, he said, the relatively macho culture of
South Louisiana does not lend itself to small, quiet, environmentally friendly
motorcycles. "Down here, everybody's looking for big and powerful," he said.

The fact that many Louisianians, especially Houma residents, work in the oil and gas industry may dissuade motorcyclists from supporting electric manufacturers. "They're
probably thinking, 'If I make my money in oil and gas, why am I gonna buy an
electric bike?'"

For now, Dietrich said,
electric motorcycles are also comparatively expensive. The Zero bikes his shop
sold ranged up to $13,000, whereas the average gas-powered Honda -- Cycle World's
biggest seller -- cost between $8,000 and $9,000.

Moreover, with the rapid
progression of electric motorcycle technology, Dietrich said many prospective
buyers were concerned that their pricey new bike would be rendered outdated within
six months or a year.

Still, Dietrich did
manage to sell two electric motorcycles. The buyers, who Dietrich described as
"conservative-type individuals," approved of their environmental efficiency. But the technology appealed to their baser desires as well.

"I think they liked the idea
of being the only guy on the block who has one," he said.

Adrian Stewart, a spokesman
for Brammo, another major American manufacturer of electric motorcycles, based
in Ashland, Ore., said the company's largest markets are in Europe and Asia.

"Americans are slow to adopt
electric motorcycles because, in the U.S., motorcycles are very much about
image and lifestyle," he said. In his opinion, Harley-Davidson may never go
electric simply because it "poses too many barriers to their brand."

The biggest U.S. markets for
Brammo bikes are also the biggest for their gas-powered competitors:
California, Texas, Florida and New York. With lesser brand
recognition than Harley-Davidson or Honda, companies like Brammo and Zero
depend heavily on local dealers like Dietrich.

"If they have the confidence
to stock, sell and service the bikes, it often inspires their customers to buy
them," he said. To sweeten the deal, Brammo offers a five-year or
50,000-mile limited warranty on its batteries.

Stewart admitted it will
take time for Americans to embrace electric motorcycles. But he estimated that,
within the next twenty years or so, most bikes will be electric. "They'll be
cleaner, faster and, by then, a lot cheaper," he said.

As evidence that the bikes
may also be cooler, he forwarded a video of Steve Atlas -- a former "North
American champion" of the TTXGP electric motorcycle race -- astride a Brammo Empulse RR. In a separate email, he sent
a photograph (featured above) of a new Brammo model pulling a wheelie at an Oregon track.